Cars And Memories
by motown lady
Summary: Lee has sold his Corvette and shares with Amanda memories of not only the two cars he had but also a late family member that left quite an impression on him.


Cars And Memories

Chapter 1

Lee was outside in the driveway of his and Amanda's Rockville home sitting in the Corvette he'd had since 1984 and was struggling to come to terms with giving it up for good.

He'd put it up for sale two weeks earlier and the buyer from Norfolk, VA arranged that weekend to pick it up. He would be by soon with a friend to collect it.

But selling it and letting it go were two entirely different things Amanda realized as she watched her husband go through his varied emotions.

Phillip and Jamie were visiting their parents that weekend and joining their mother at the front door looking through the outer door window they saw what she was looking at and Phillip shrugged to Amanda, "Gee, Mom. It's just a car. What's he so bent out of shape about?"

Amanda sighed. "Oh, Sweetheart. All men love their cars. Even you two and don't you tell me you don't, Mr. BMW."

Phillip chuckled nodding,"Yeah, you're right. But even Jamie didn't act like this when he traded in his Roadster a few years ago. We just don't get it."

Amanda shook her head as she opened the door to go to the driveway and said, "And I'm afraid you never will, Honey. Your dad's a very complex man. I'll go see if I can talk to him."

As Amanda got to the car she knocked on the passenger window startling Lee just a bit but he nodded and unlocked the door.

As she got in she closed the door saying, "Penny for your thoughts?"

Lee confused shook his head irritatedly. "I don't wanna play that game, Amanda. Been too many years. Something on your mind?"

Amanda cocked her head and stroked his cheek gently. "Aw, Sweetie. You are. I know you're attached to this thing, but you gotta let it go sometime. Besides, I thought you liked the Audi you bought last week?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah, but it's not gonna be the same. I-I mean, you and I met when I had the Porsche. You were with me when I lost that in a fireball thanks to Jerry Perrine."

Gulping then he sighed finally, "And you learned to drive this."

Amanda shrugged. "Sure. It wasn't a stick shift. Remember when I tried to drive the Porsche?"

Lee groaned sticking a hand up. "Stop! Of course I remember. This was a lot easier, but-"

Amanda shrugged. "But what, Lee?"

Lee asked, "You know what tomorrow is, don't you?"

Amanda swallowed hard and nodded. "M-Mother's birthday. But I still don't see-"

Lee squeezed his wife's hand and said,"It was the year after we married and you were finally out of the woods after your accident? Remember I thought about something that she and I could try to do together since I was new to the family?"

Amanda nodded sighing."Yeah. And I told you that you didn't have to try so hard to impress her. That she liked you well enough from the get-go. What about it?"

Lee smiled shaking his head. "You don't remember? You planned the camping trip for all of us since you and I were off the roster that week. The last week in February, beginning of March? She decided she didn't want to go that time so I thought no time like then to spend some time together. You know, to try to bond like I was attempting to do with the boys?"

Amanda nodded slowly remembering. "Ohh, yeah. She wondered what you were up to since it wasn't her birthday, or even Mother's Day. She grilled me endlessly about it. But I told her I honestly didn't know what you had planned. How did that come about?"

Lee shrugged. " Well. Being new to this family then, I asked Billy what he did to try to impress his mother in-law when he and Jeannie got married."

Amanda smiled. "What words of wisdom did he give you?"

Lee sighed. "He said to just pay attention. Her likes and dislikes. And don't stir the hornet's nest if anything really burns her up. He said he made that mistake the first month of his marriage by telling Jeannie's mother that her meatloaf was a little too dry."

Amanda smirked shaking her head."Oh, boy."

Continuing with a laugh he said, "Then it hit me. Gardening. Your mother was crazy about that garden in the back yard and went to the nursery at least every other month. So I started asking her about flowers and what kinds we could possibly plant for that time of year other than tulips or the usual bulbs."

Amanda asked, "What did she say?"

Lee swallowed remembering like it was yesterday...

_Dotty: "Thank you for wanting to help Lee, but it's really not necessary. Mr. Harmon from the nursery in town knows what Amanda and I like for the seasons. When it's time, I call him and he puts things aside for us and Amanda and I work on the yard together. It's enough that you and the boys mow the lawn and pull the weeds for us anyway."_

_Lee nodded saying,"I understand. I just thought maybe if there was something different you wanted to do to the garden, maybe we could work on it together. If-If you wanted to, that is."_

_He could tell Dotty was touched as she swallowed and said, "You know, you're very different from Amanda's father. You actually take an interest here. Carl's attitude concerning flowers or anything having to do with the yardwork back then was,"Oh, anything's fine here. It's just a lawn, Dotty. Don't worry. I'll mow the lawn and pull some weeds, get rid of the dandelions. Good as new."_

Amanda nodded giggling as Lee told this tale and said, "Yep. That was Daddy. Oh, we loved him like crazy but he couldn't have cared less about flowers. Except giving them as presents to Mother on her birthday or their anniversaries. So, is that how you came up with the trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show?"

Lee nodded. "Yeah. I got a deal through one of my contacts and arranged it. She and I had a pretty good time, actually. She drove us there and I drove us back. We talked about anything and everything. Uh, except about Agency stuff. We still hadn't told her or the boys about that yet, if you recall."

Amanda sighed. "Right. Well, she told me something that night the boys and I returned from our trip."

Lee warily looked at his wife. "Which was?"

Amanda rubbed his shoulder gently and softly murmured, "That I couldn't have picked a better man as a son in-law for her this time and that she could tell I was completely happy and she wouldn't have to worry about this family any more."

Lee swallowed hard clearing his throat then."Wow. So I passed with flying colors, huh?"

Amanda nodded smiling with tears in her eyes. "Oh, yeah. You were already an eleven with her anyway when we were dating."

Lee chuckled, "You never told me that."

Just then they heard a car honk and saw a Sedan pull up to the curb and two young men get out of the car.

Amanda sighed and looked at Lee. "Well? Are you ready?"

Lee patted her hand and said, "Yeah. Let's get it done."

They both got out of the Corvette as the men approached.

Lee shook both men's hands and slowly handed the keys over to them saying hesitantly, "I've filled up the tank and had it serviced. Only thing you have to do now is get it back to your home safely. Take-Take care of her, huh?"

Both men nodded and were soon gone.

With that Lee turned to Amanda and said, "C'mon, Honey. Tell the boys we have an errand to run and then we'll head out to dinner."

They went inside and changed clothes and all got into the Audi.

They stopped at the flower shop first to pick up a small bouquet of Dotty's favorite flowers and then went to the Columbia Garden Cemetery to visit Dotty, who was buried next to her late husband Carl West.

As they all stood there to pray and remember Lee took the bouquet from Amanda and knelt down to place it on Dotty's grave saying, "I want you to know what an honor it was to be a part of your life, Dotty. Happy Birthday. I'll never forget you."

Getting up finally he turned to the family saying, "I don't remember much about my own mother, but I want to thank you all for sharing her with me. I love you."

They all hugged and made their way back to the car, heading to dinner to honor Dotty's birthday.

The End


End file.
